Man. United Announce Brazilian Link

Manchester United Academy has joined up with the Brazilian youth club Desportivo Brasil.

The exciting football-driven venture will see players from both clubs visiting each country for the opportunity to experience new training methods and play friendly matches.

The project, driven by Brian McClair, Les Kershaw and John Calvert Toulmin (United's South American recruitment officer), is seen as an invaluable learning curve for players.

While Desportivo have an excellent team of professionals, the Academy will provide technical support to improve Desportivo’s preparation of young players, optimising the chance that players from their club will excel when moving to Europe.

United Academy coaches from different age groups will visit Brazil on a regular basis and Desportivo coaches will be welcomed on reciprocal visits. For United, this will provide invaluable insight into the way the five-time world champions approach the beautiful game.

Academy manager Brian McClair said: “It is exciting to be involved with such an innovative partnership that allows each club to glean knowledge from each other and so develop the future of football.”

United chief executive David Gill added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our coaches and Academy players. They will gain invaluable knowledge and experience from Desportivo. Brazilian football has always been consistent and we already have a strong Brazilian contingent at the club. This will forge an even stronger relationship."

Desportivo Brasil is located in the city of Itu, an hour’s drive from Sao Paulo, and is focused on youth football. The club fields teams competing in the Sao Paulo state championship at U15, U17 and U20 level.

They are currently putting the finishing touches to a new training complex that, when completed, will be one of the top facilities exclusively for junior football in the world. Desportivo’s head consultant is Brazil’s World Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.